Late at night.
Felicia Cori gave it everything she had.
But giving it everything did not mean she could win.
Especially not in the realm of wrestling.
There were no accidents, only inevitability!
The overwhelming gap in combat strength was plain to see when the witcher left the next morning. She lay limp as mud, unable to move so much as a finger.
Victor, meanwhile, was brimming with energy and walking with a spring in his step. As he strode away beneath the brilliant sunlight, he even hummed a bawdy folk tune under his breath.
"One night in Loc Muinne, I left behind a whole lot of spunk~~"
...
That afternoon, in the Temerian camp, inside the constable's quarters.
Victor entered the room with Angoulême. When John Natalis saw him, he waved the messenger away and turned toward the witcher.
"Excellent timing, Vic. You can meet someone with me. And this lady is?"
"My sister, Temeria's Golden Eagle, Knight Angoulême Corion." Victor introduced her with a smile, then asked, "Who are we meeting?"
"Geralt of Rivia. Roche is bringing him over. Says he has something important to report."
Hearing the White Wolf's name, Victor raised an eyebrow, pleased. Perfect. He had something he needed to discuss with Geralt as well.
Natalis turned toward the girl. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Angoulême."
"The honor is mine, sir." She saluted the constable.
"You can call me John." Natalis returned the gesture.
Angoulême stepped back and stood behind Victor.
...
Before long, the door opened and Vernon Roche entered alongside Geralt of Rivia. Roche had apparently shaved only recently, leaving a conspicuous bluish shadow across his jaw, while the White Wolf maintained the traditional witcher disregard for grooming.
Roche looked surprised when he saw the Phantom Troupe, but quickly returned to normal.
Yesterday, Natalis had ordered him to keep watch for unusual movements between Kaedwen and Nilfgaard. The matter concerned the whereabouts of the royal heir, Anaïs La Valette, but his orders had only called for intelligence gathering, not a rescue operation.
He had been wondering who Natalis intended to send to carry out the actual rescue.
Now that he saw Victor, Roche immediately understood both where the constable's information had come from and who would be carrying out the extraction.
His feelings toward this witcher, who seemed to leap from one side to another whenever circumstances changed, were exceedingly complicated. But no matter what, Victor's overwhelming combat strength was undeniable. Having him on the same side offered considerable reassurance.
Keeping those thoughts to himself, Roche placed a hand over his chest in greeting.
"John, Geralt of Rivia. Geralt, Constable John Natalis, Regent of the Kingdom."
Geralt bowed slightly. "An honor to meet the hero of Brenna."
Natalis met the White Wolf's gaze for a moment, his expression calm.
"Geralt, Roche may trust you, but for reasons everyone knows, I am somewhat less certain. What can I do for you?"
"Sir, he's a senior witcher from my own school. You can trust Geralt as much as you trust me," Victor interjected calmly.
Natalis turned his head toward the blond young man. After confirming that Victor was not joking, he looked back at the White Wolf and gestured for him to continue.
"As the representative of the Regency Council, I'd like to know whether any landed nobles accompanied you to this summit?" Geralt asked with his customary expressionless face.
"Only Baron Kimbolt and Count Maravel. The other five remained in Vizima. Apart from Baron Oeval, most of them spend their time searching for ways to undermine the legitimacy of Anaïs's claim to the throne."
"And what positions do Kimbolt and Maravel take within the Regency Council?" Geralt pressed.
The question was somewhat sensitive, but hardly a secret. Natalis glanced at Vernon Roche and Victor Corion before choosing to answer directly.
"Maravel has declared before the Regency Council that he will fully support Foltest's child. But words are cheap. If Anaïs is found and brought back, I suspect he may change his mind in an instant.
"Kimbolt takes the opposite position. The baron insists that Anaïs's illegitimate birth prevents her from ascending the throne. But everyone knows he hopes to marry Anaïs and place himself upon the throne."
"Kimbolt is in his fifties, as far as I know... and Anaïs is only ten! Disgusting old lecher." Victor folded his arms, repeating the assessment he had heard in Keira's bed. "He's a fantasist. He dreams of building a powerful Temeria and a powerful North. He's lost in his own delusions, convinced that Temeria is surrounded by villains and traitors, such as the La Valettes and Maravel.
"As for Count Maravel, if he weren't so blackhearted, you could almost call him a lamb. He's nothing but a court jester, and a particularly awful one, utterly shameless and desperate to flatter anyone above him. He'll seize every opportunity to lick his master's asshole until it shines."
Victor's vicious commentary made Angoulême giggle.
Vernon Roche turned a deaf ear to such slander against the nobility, while Natalis acted as though he had heard nothing at all.
Both of them had risen from common stock.
Geralt's poker face remained unchanged.
"Thank you for answering, Constable. Be careful. There is a traitor among Temeria's nobles."
John Natalis's expression darkened instantly. A murderous severity gathered across his rugged, straightforward features.
"Careful, witcher! If you're going to accuse someone of treason, you'd better have evidence first."
"Count Maravel has sided with Nilfgaard and utterly betrayed Temeria. Baron Kimbolt, meanwhile, planned to murder Foltest's children."
"White Wolf, those are grave accusations!" Natalis's voice hardened.
Geralt's gaze remained steady.
"Kimbolt hired several thugs to do his dirty work, but the convoy carrying the children changed routes before they could strike.
"I found one of those bastards. He's prepared to testify about it.
"The reason the convoy changed routes was a trap arranged by Maravel. The count ambushed Boussy and Anaïs, intending to hand them over to the Nilfgaardians. You'll find the evidence in this letter.
"Unfortunately, Boussy's death was an accident, while Anaïs was taken away. Her current whereabouts are unknown."
Geralt's revelation deeply shook John Natalis.
When combined with the information that the missing Anaïs had been handed over by Nilfgaard to Kaedwen the previous night, it indirectly confirmed the credibility of everything Geralt had said.
Victor was equally impressed by the White Wolf's performance.
As expected of the Witcher world's great detective. Once Geralt made his move, he nailed the culprits to the wall. An extraordinary performance.
Some time later.
After carefully examining the letters submitted as evidence and listening to the thug's testimony, John Natalis let out a deep sigh.
"Dark clouds gather over Temeria!
"Witcher, thank you. We're fortunate you exposed these crimes.
"They brought too many soldiers with them to Loc Muinne. I cannot arrest them both simultaneously. I cannot risk both forces rebelling at once.
"Of two evils, we must choose the lesser. I believe Baron Kimbolt will be willing to stand with us."
...
Some time later.
Angoulême stood behind Victor, watching as Natalis laid the evidence out piece by piece before Kimbolt, leaving the baron with nothing to say.
The baron who had been summoned for this confrontation was a one-eyed old man with graying hair and beard.
Angoulême had never met Anaïs, but merely thinking about this filthy old lecher trying to marry a ten-year-old girl made her stomach turn.
John Natalis spoke coldly.
"Baron, as you can see, I know everything. The very thought of what you intended disgusts me.
"However, you're fortunate, because we have a greater problem to deal with. You will give me your full support in arresting Count Maravel."
Kimbolt folded his arms and raised his chin, struggling to maintain his aristocratic dignity.
"Regent, this request sounds remarkably like a threat."
"Have some confidence. Of course it isn't a request. It is a threat! And an order!" Natalis thrust a finger toward him. "If you dare refuse, the Regency Council will receive ample evidence of your crimes, including your attempt to murder the children carrying our king's blood!"
Avoiding the constable's piercing gaze, the baron looked toward the map of Temeria hanging on the wall.
"Natalis, what do I get in exchange? You cannot expect me to receive nothing."
"The moment we return to Vizima, I will destroy the evidence against you. Until then, I expect your unconditional support."
"That's not enough! What guarantee do I have that you'll keep your word?"
Natalis's expression was solemn.
"I consider it enough. My word still carries some weight, unlike the endless lies pouring from the mouth of a son of a bitch like you."
"...Very well. But Regent, remember my words. Do not attempt to stand in my way."
The constable ignored the defeated dog's barking.
If Kimbolt did not want his name and reputation utterly destroyed, he had no choice but to cooperate unconditionally.
Everything afterward became simple.
It wasn't long before the pudgy, pale, soft-looking Count Maravel was arrested and dragged away.
He had an appointment with the gallows, and it was one he wouldn't be missing.
...
The warning Geralt had brought was successfully dealt with.
...
Naturally, there were still some loose ends to handle afterward. Count Maravel's arrest meant the soldiers he had brought needed to be reassigned and managed, something Natalis would have to personally oversee.
So Victor and Angoulême, together with Vernon Roche and Geralt, temporarily bid the constable farewell and headed toward the Blue Stripes' quarters to discuss their next move.
Before they left, John Natalis clasped Victor's hand.
There were many things that did not need to be put into words.
Once they reached the room assigned to the Blue Stripes, everyone took a seat.
Roche was about to begin explaining the intelligence they had gathered on Kaedwen. He had already assumed everyone present would be participating in that night's operation.
But Victor raised a hand first to stop him.
"Sorry, Roche. Could you do me a favor and let Geralt and me talk first? This involves a few things I'd rather you didn't hear. So if possible, could you step outside for a bit and let the three of us have a proper conversation?"
Roche stared deeply at the witcher.
He could guess what the young man wanted to discuss with the White Wolf. If Victor specifically wanted him gone, then it almost certainly involved the kingslayers.
Roche still yearned to avenge Foltest.
But he now had a more important objective.
Saving Anaïs took priority over everything else.
And Victor was the best fighter currently available to him.
So Roche stood, walked out of the room, and even closed the door behind him.
Angoulême stuck out her tongue and made a face.
"Wow, Vic. You just threw him out that bluntly. I thought Roche was going to blow up!"
Victor coughed lightly twice.
"Don't talk nonsense. Mr. Roche is a broad-minded and forgiving man."
"He's an asshole, but he knows what's important. So, Victor, what did you want to tell me?" Geralt cut straight to the point.
"Well... Triss Merigold is being held in the Nilfgaardian camp. Apparently Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen tortured information out of her concerning the members of the Lodge of Sorceresses, along with evidence that Síle de Tansarville ordered Letho to act.
"I suspect there's more going on behind the scenes, but I imagine you're already getting impatient."
The White Wolf's cat eyes gleamed brightly.
"Yes. I'm already impatient. I can't tolerate Triss remaining there for another moment. It seems I won't be able to take part in rescuing Anaïs tonight. So that's why you wanted Roche out of the room first?"
"Yes. And what I'm about to tell you next isn't something he should hear either. I asked Iorveth to help investigate the Nilfgaardian camp. Originally, I wanted him to locate Philippa Eilhart. But by coincidence, he discovered Triss's location first.
"I think you'll need his help. I've already spoken with him. Angoulême will take you to meet him."
"Your influence never ceases to amaze me. I can't believe he's actually willing to help. I have absolutely no doubt that if he ever got the opportunity, he'd beat me black and blue."
Victor smiled confidently.
"Don't worry. He won't. He's an asshole too, but he also knows what's important. I'll tell you a secret. I'm actually a Respect-Respect Fruit user!"
"Respect-Respect Fruit? What's that?" the White Wolf asked instinctively.
Victor's expression was utterly serious.
"The Respect-Respect Fruit is one of the treasures of the sea. Once you eat it, people can't help wanting to show you respect."
A century's worth of accumulated experience was not enough for Geralt to definitively rule on whether mysterious treasures of the sea truly existed.
But he could be absolutely certain that Victor was talking complete nonsense about this so-called Respect-Respect Fruit.
Because Angoulême, sitting beside him, was holding back her laughter so hard that her entire face had twisted.
This younger witcher really was...
There was nothing particularly wrong with him except for that bizarre Corion sense of humor, which was honestly difficult to understand.
Geralt skipped directly past the Respect-Respect Fruit.
"Thank you. I owe you one."
"No! You don't owe me anything. Triss is my friend too. And no matter how you look at it, I bear some responsibility for Letho abducting her.
"If rescuing Anaïs didn't involve a threat I simply can't ignore, I would have planned to go with you and rescue her myself."
"Someone can actually threaten you?"
"Yes. A threat I cannot refuse."
The girl beside them watched their banter with a cheerful grin.
Seeing an uncle she cared about and the man she considered her brother getting along so well filled her with happiness.
Victor then took out several bottles of potions and a handful of bombs, passing them to Angoulême and Geralt.
"Drink the potions before you set out. Don't bother saving them. Devil's Puffball, Grapeshot, and Dancing Star are for emergencies.
"Geralt, don't worry about Angoulême holding you back. Her stealth techniques were personally taught by a School of the Viper witcher, and her innate abilities are exceptionally powerful during covert operations."
After identifying the alchemical items, Geralt accepted them, patted Victor on the arm, and left together with Angoulême.
Vernon Roche, who had been waiting outside the door, did not stop them. He simply nodded as they passed, then returned to the room and sat down.
When Victor had asked him to leave for their private conversation, Roche had already suspected Geralt might be sent off to handle something else.
Either the kingslayers or Triss.
But Roche did not care that the others were leaving.
When it came to infiltration operations, perhaps distance had improved his impression of the man, or perhaps what happened in Flotsam had simply left too deep an impression.
Whatever the reason, Roche possessed a strange degree of confidence in the Dovahkiin, even greater than his confidence in the White Wolf.
Not just anyone could dominate a battlefield, charge headlong into an army armed to the teeth, and still successfully take the enemy commander's head.
That required more than strength and courage.
It required many other qualities that were less obvious, but every bit as important.
Roche unfolded a hand-drawn map covered in red dots and lines, then began explaining calmly.
"Based on what we've observed, the Kaedweni camp is arranged like this..."
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